Most of us know that traveling is not always possible. Whether it’s time or money or some other reason. So how can we bring travel to us if we can’t leave home… is it even possible?

With a little imagination and creativity, anything is possible. 

Sure, nothing beats going to the Caribbean Islands for sun and fun! 

Or trekking the Volcano of Bali…

Having reminders or vision boards can really change our whole experience into what it’s not and what it can be. 

Hopefully some of these tips will open up your eyes to possibilities that can bring travel to you. 

I haven’t traveled out of the country for at least 7 years and even though I do still have a list of places I want to visit, these little things help my wanderlust brain.

Hopefully you will be able take some of the tricks with you and run with them, literally…

13 Things That Can Bring Travel Home

1.Decorate Your Wall with a World Map Decal

I have actually done this many times. You can buy a world map decal online and put it on your wall. It really inspires me to travel every time I see it.

2. Decorate Your Room with Canvas

I have purchased two canvas at Marshall’s, and I love hanging them up. Just seeing the picture up in my living room has inspired me to see travel in a whole new way

3. Decorate your Desktop and Phone Wallpaper with Travel

You can get the free pictures off of Pinterest and use them for your wallpaper. For your desktop, try using the free platform Unsplash to download some amazing travel photography. 

4. Make a Vision Board of Where You Want to Travel

You can easily do this in a day. Gather a lot of different magazines and really put the 3 places you want to visit soon. Or at least in the near future. Doing so will definitely make it possible. 

5. Read a Magazines on Travel

Just the other day I came across a magazine called Travel + Leisure The Europe Issue. As I read I realized I wanted to travel more than I had ever wanted to. I made a mental note of what airlines to try out after reading an article of the 7 best budget airlines to find.

6. Watch Travel Episodes like National Geographics

There are some really good travel episodes or movies on National Geographics. Recently I watched Gordon Ramsey: Uncharted. What’s really amazing is when he travels to different countries to savor the food of the locals. 

7. Make a Post-it

As someone wise once told me, “ If it’s not written down then it won’t happen” Writing down your top 3 places actually has shown to be more effective then wishing it. Post it somewhere you can see it. For example, your bathroom mirror is a great place to start. 

8. Set a Deadline

One of the most important things to make your dream a reality is to make a deadline very clear. For example, By 2025 I will visit the Caribbean Islands and Machu Picchu. Not only will you have a clear goal in mind but you will definitely make it more likely to happen. It wouldn’t hurt to hang this up either. 

9. Listen to a Travel Podcast

There are plenty and I mean plenty of podcasts out there. So why not find a cool travel podcast you can listen to on your way to the grocery store. Or while driving in traffic. Warning: This will definitely create some wanderlust 

10. Read Some Travel Blogs

One of my favorites and most popular is Nomadic Matt, his blogs really inspire me to get out there and experience the world. You can learn so much from travel bloggers out there. If you read their blog post you can learn some tips along the way

11. Challenge your Cooking Skills Abroad

Who says we can’t savor the taste of Spain’s Paella without actually going there. You can, if you put your cooking skills to the test.  There are a lot of different dishes you can make even if you can’t travel or leave home. You’ll be surprised that you can find all the ingredients at your local stores.

If you do some searching around you can even find authentic stores from certain foods. For example, little did I know that a Mediterranean store existed so close to me. I found many authentic spices and ingredients that I otherwise would have not been able to. So look around. It doesn’t hurt.

If you do challenge yourself to make something then the next time you do travel to the place you can compare your cooking skills. 🙂

12. Budget your Future Travel Plans

Traveling is always at the top of my list. So having a separate travel account has definitely helped me budget for my future travel plans. I have a separate savings account where I do not touch the money at all. It really depends where you’re going to visit.

For example, when my sister and I visited Bali, we budgeted $1500 dollars, but without flight, we only spent like $600. The USD is stretched much further than the Bali Rupees. I think the most expensive thing was our flight. 

13. Travel Local

If you can’t go anytime to an international place abroad then you can definitely check out your local city. There is always something you can see that maybe you haven’t seen before. 

Even traveling to your local beaches per se is probably the best thing you can do. If you do live in the San Diego County area or plan to travel there one day then be sure to read our blog of the best beaches to visit near downtown here.

If you’re planning a trip to Florida, then I recommend checking out Pensacola Beach. You can read more about other amazing Florida Beach Destinations we have reviewed here.

Conclusion

Sometimes we need to get a little creative to be able to travel even when we can’t leave home. If you are reading this during one of the hardest worldwide pandemics, then you know what we mean.

All those planned trips coming to a dead halt.

Almost the entire travel industry paused. So whether you are in quarantine or not, we can all use a little imagination and get creative to travel without actually leaving your house.

Things that can help us get a little bit closer to that travel yearning we desire could be as simple as reading travel books.

They often times can really change your mood and suck you into a whole new world. If you haven’t read a book that does just that, then maybe you haven’t read enough or found the right one. 

Another thing you can do is to listen to travel podcasts, there are plenty of podcasts that will definitely help with that travel itch. You can really get lost in these, and even listening in your car and hearing the stories of others can help ease you and start planning for a future trip soon.

Making sure you have a vision board is not only imperative but super useful. Even though you may not be able to travel now you can learn to find out how or where to travel soon.

Whether you choose one or all of these tips, they will definitely help.

You can start planning a trip now rather than later. 

Be sure to check out our blog on how to start planning your trip here.